Entries

Paris... London... Kearney, Nebraska?!

As history has progressed, the financial center of the world has tended to shift increasingly westward. In the 17th century, Amsterdam was widely acknowledged as the core of the worldwide financial system. Later on, London would take this prestigious title, only to be bested by New York in the 20th …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

Copper Cops

Tonight, the citizens of Las Vegas, Nevada sleep soundly. Their senator, Harry Reid, is so concerned for their safety that he’s spent endless nights concocting a plan to keep them safe. He knows what ails the residents of Las Vegas, and he cuts through the fog to get things done. To deal with …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

Taking Taxpayers for a Bronco Ride

Today’s ‘At the Trough’ features an earmark that was forcibly roped into the 2009 omnibus appropriations act. Federal legislators have recently designated $150, 000 for a rodeo museum in Fort Pierre, South Dakota (population: 1, 991). Some in the area sincerely hope that rodeo enthusiasts from …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

If It Smells Like a Pig, It Must Be....Pork

The first segment of "At the Trough" involves an earmark that quite literally benefits the pork industry. In the massive government funding bill currently before the Senate, Sen. Tom Harkin designated $1.7 million for pig odor research in Iowa. According to the Associated Press, hog odor is a …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

This Pork Smells Fishy

As we return to ‘At the Trough’, we come across one of the 125 earmarks that Senator Richard C. Shelby has put his name on in the most recent omnibus bill. Yet what distinguishes this one is that it smells a little fishier than most: $819,000 for research on catfish genetics. This public money …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

An Earmark to Rinse and Spit

The state of New Mexico is on the hunt, and the federal government has graciously offered to help them in their search. When first mentioned, the word ‘search’ conjures up one of two images for me: the kind of search that involves riffling through couch cushions to find my remote …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

What Next -- Earmarks for Sea Monkeys?

Tim looks at an earmark that's anything but shrimpy. The ‘At the Trough’ segment continues, and today we feature an earmark that’s anything but shrimpy. Lurking within this year’s omnibus appropriation act swims a $2.9 million earmark designated for shrimp aquaculture research in Arizona, …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday July 6, 2009

Obama's Bogus Russian Achievement

The Obama administration has not yet proven anything in Russia. They have hitherto failed to achieve any substantive agreement with President Medvedev over the most pressing U.S. Russian issues. On July 3rd, the New York Times ran an article titled, “Russia to Open Airspace to U.S. for …

Written by Tyler Montgomery on Monday July 6, 2009

If Saddam Was Telling the Truth

In Saddam Hussein’s now-released interviews stating that he was more fearful of Iran than the U.S. and thus had to maintain the fiction of a robust non-conventional weapons capability, it seems a remarkably poor strategy. In Saddam Hussein’s now-released interviews stating that he was more fearful …

Written by John S. Gardner on Monday July 6, 2009

A Recession Mystery

This "great recession" has harshly reshaped the lives of tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of million of people around the world. And yet in one way, it has had surprisingly little impact: We have not seen the kind of upsurge of anti-system political radicalism that might have been …

Written by David Frum on Monday July 6, 2009

Doyle McManus is Shrewd on Palin...

... from LA Times July 5: "Palin's main asset, of course, is a base of fervent support among social conservatives who see her as fresh, exciting and embattled -- the people who responded to her resignation by sending contributions to her fundraising committee, SarahPAC. The problem for Palin and …

Written by David Frum on Monday July 6, 2009

Damaged Goods

Sarah Palin may yet try a run for the presidency in 2012. But if her political career is not quite ended, it now seems headed nowhere positive. Sarah Palin said on Friday that her decision to resign as Governor had been in the works "for a while" and "after much consideration." In that case, you …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 5, 2009

Palin: The Solution

On reflection, I don't think it's really so very complicated. At bottom it's about $$$. On reflection, I don't think it's really so very complicated. At bottom it's about $$$. 2009-2011 will be her peak years for speaking fees. If she runs for president in 2012, she'll be obliged to cut back her …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 5, 2009

Green Shoots?

The Jobs section of the Washington Post today, Sunday, July 5, only has a total of three pages of actual listings... And the Washington area has weathered the recession reasonably well. The Jobs section of the Washington Post today, Sunday, July 5, has a total of three pages of actual …

Written by John S. Gardner on Sunday July 5, 2009

Do the Car Dealers Own Congress? (Hint: Yes)

Congress is considering a bill which would restore car dealerships terminated in the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies. This ought to be a great opportunity for Republicans to drive a wedge between the needs of recovery and the selfish political interests of the Democrats in Congress. The horror of the …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 5, 2009

Obama's North Korea Dither and Drift

For the Obama administration to argue that the sanctions against Pyongyang are working is a colossal farce. North Korea is still trying to evade them and Kim's regime seems as strong today as it did yesterday. Thursday, the White House announced that the sanctions are working, and John McCain is …

Written by Zac Morgan on Sunday July 5, 2009

The Carrier Goes But Not the Virus

Palin’s self-immolation today may yet do the Republican party more harm than good. Sarah Palin’s supporters are a large and important constituency within the Republican party, but they are not a constituency sufficient for conservative success. Palin may have resigned--but Palinism will continue. …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 5, 2009

God Loves Marines

“It’s not about how long your life is.” said Lt. Col. Christian Cabaniss to the men of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 3. “Your measure is what you do with the time you have..." Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan “It’s not …

Written by Sean Linnane on Sunday July 5, 2009

Where Rumsfeld Went Wrong

A talent and affinity for bureaucratic infighting pervaded Rumsfeld’s career, and ultimately degraded his performance as defense secretary. Eager to assert control over the massive Pentagon bureaucracy, he shut out views that contradicted his own. Bradley Graham’s em> By His Own Rules

Written by Kenneth Silber on Sunday July 5, 2009

Loving the Declaration of Independence Too Much to Read It

Sean Hannity’s summation of America’s founding philosophy is an outrageous corruption of the beliefs of our founding fathers. In anticipation of July the 4th, earlier this week, Sean Hannity plugged the Heritage Foundation and encouraged his listeners to get their own Heritage pocket edition of …

Written by Henry Clay on Sunday July 5, 2009